Annan, Volcker assure full support

United Nations and the Volcker Committee have assured "full cooperation" to India in its investigation into the alleged involvement of Union Minister Natwar Singh and the Congress party in the United Nations' oil-for-food programme.

This assurance was given to India when Virendra Dayal, special envoy appointed by the government to collect materials regarding Volcker Committee findings, met UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the Chairman of the UN-appointed independent commission Paul Volcker seperately.

Dayal, who met Volcker on Friday and Annan yesterday, told PTI that he was satisfied with the meeting and both of them had assured him "full cooperation" in the investigation.

The Volcker panel had named Natwar Singh, who was divested of External Affairs Ministry, and the Congress party among the non-contractual beneficiaries of the oil-for-food programme in Iraq.

Besides, the panel had also identified 129 Indian companies, which, it said, had paid illegal surcharges to Saddam Hussein government to get contracts for supply of humanitarian goods.